Hirwaun & Rhigos

Hirwaun and Rhigos sit at the head of the Cynon Valley in Rhondda Cynon Taf, on the upland slopes where valley farmland meets open moor. The ground rises from the clustered streets of Hirwaun toward Rhigos village and the common land above, with the A465 Heads of the Valleys road providing the main east–west link nearby. Local land use mixes pasture, pockets of regenerating woodland and former industrial ground, and paths from the villages lead onto moorland that holds the headwaters of small streams feeding the Cynon.

Industry has shaped the area: 19th- and 20th-century iron and coal workings left pits, spoil heaps and an industrial estate on the western edge of Hirwaun. One site in particular drew national attention when the local miners bought and ran the colliery as an employee-owned operation after the pits closed, keeping mining on the hill for a further period. Today the villages combine local services, community facilities and access to upland walking, with industrial heritage still visible in street patterns and preserved structures.